Oyster-opener



Patented Oct. 15, 1935 FATENT OFFICE OYSTER-OPENER Friedrich W. Mittel,Brooklyn, N. Y.

Application June 9, 1932, Serial No. 616,171

7 Claims.

This invention concerns an opener for bivalves, such as clams, oysters,etc.

The valves of bivalve are held together by ligaments and the opening ofsuch mollusks requires skill and force, particularly when they are to beopened in quantities.

One object of this invention is to facilitate the opening of the bivalveby the use of a mechanism and levers in the opening operation.

A second object of this invention is to provide a platform, on which thebivalve is firmly and alignedly held in opposition to the force appliedto a knife for the purpose of separating the valves.

I further provide means on a platform for readily adjusting the level ofthe bivalvedeposited and held on said p1atform,with the opening knife,in accordance with the size of said bivalve.

Another object of this invention is to provide means in connection withsuch a platform which facilitates the removal and proper disposal of thejuice.

Still another object of this invention is mechanically to actuate clamor oyster opening knives in such a manner that they are not onlyinserted between the shells but are simultaneously or subsequentlyrotated, whereby the shells are pried apart.

A further object of this invention is to permit tilting of the bivalveto be opened at such an angle during the opening operation, that theopening knife does not contact with the mollusk contained between theshells.

These and other objects of this invention will be more clearlyunderstood from the following description and appended drawing, in whichFig. l is a partly sectioned top view showing the device of myinvention.

Fig. 2 shows a corresponding side elevation.

Fig. 3 shows a partly sectioned detail view of the reciprocating knifeof my invention.

Figs. 4: and 5 show side and end views of a modified oyster openingknife.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the various views:

My device comprises a frame l l, which is suitably fastened against awall or upon a table 92, as indicated in the drawing by means of screwsiii; the frame it comprises a bifurcated bracket with arms and is, whichare provided with a longitudinal bore accommodating the reciprocatingarbor if.

t the front, frame H has an extension 58 of 55 the form of a closedloop. Upon opposite sides of the extension l8 lugs i9 protrude upwardlytherefrom. These lugs are transversely bored in coaxial alignment, andthey rotatably accommodate the pins 2!], which extend from oppositesides of the platform 2i. The platform 2| is 5 suitably shaped at itsbottom 22 so as to permit bivalves to be placed thereinto; at the sametime there is a wall 23 at the back of the platform which serves as aback rest. The back rest takes up the force applied to the oyster bymeans 10 of the knife 2t, which is integral with the sleeve 29 fittingover the front end of arbor IT. The back of the platform 2! rests uponthe transverse bar or back stop 25 of extension 18, and it may be liftedfrom said bar, together with the oyster 15 contained therein, sothat theoyster is tilted at the end which faces the knife, and may thus bebrought into alignment therewith.

When the platform 2| is tilted to a greater extent from a position onwhich it rests on the 20 bar 25, the juice of the open bivalve, whichrests in said platform, flows out from the bivalve through the openingin the extension l8 into a container 26, which is suitably placedunderneath, upon the table [2. The arbor I1 comprises 25 a rod 2i, thediameter of which is reduced at one end 28, where it slidably fits intoa sleeve 29. The sleeve 29 is closed at one end, from which the knife 24protrudes.

The receded part 28 of arbor I1 is retained 30 in the sleeve 29, againstthe pressure of the compression spring 3!] in said sleeve, by means of apin or shoulder screw 3! which extends from the receded part 28 througha guide slot 32 which is helically disposed in sleeve 29. The arbor I1is 35 normally in the extended position shown in Fig. 3. But when therod 21 is pushed into the sleeve 29, against the pressure of spring 30,the pin 3| slides along the helical slot 32 of the sleeve, so that therod and the sleeve are angularly displaced about their common axis inrespect to each other.

The pin or shoulder screw 3| extends to such a distance from rod 21through sleeve 29 that its free end is slidably accommodated in alongitudinal slot 33 extending through the wall of the bore in arm l5.The arbor I! is therefore nonrotatable, but it is longitudinallyreciprocatably supported in the bifurcations l5 and I6 of the frame ll.If the sleeve 29 is prevented from participating in such longitudinalmotion of arbor ll, the pin 3| sliding along slot 32 causes rotation ofsaid sleeve. The reciprocations are brought about by means of the handlever 35 which is fulcrumed at 35 upon the arm l6 and which isoperatively connected to the rod part 21 by means 55 of a link 36(shoulder screws 31 and 38). A flat 39 on the side of the rod 27accommodates th one end of said link 36 in abutment.

The machine is operated as follows: The bivalve is deposited on theplatform 2| which is tilted so that the knife 24,-when lever 34 isbrought to the front-wedges between the two valves of the bivalve. Whenthe knife 24 has been inserted to such an extent between the valves thatit strikes the front end of sleeve 29, which serves as a stop, themovement of said sleeve to the fore is intercepted; further movement ofknife feeding rod 2! in a frontward direction causes the spring to becompressed, the sleeve 29 starting to rotate, because the pin orshoulder screw 3| moves along the helical slot 32.

Rotation of sleeve 29 brings about rotation of the knife 24 which isinserted between the valves of the bivalve so that the said valves arepried apart. The tiltable suspension of platform 2] permits the lowervalve to be depressed while resting on the platform.

The knife at the front end of sleeve 29 may run more to a point asindicated in connection with the knife 60 of Figs. 4 and 5.

This makes it easier to insert the knife between the valves of thebivalve. The knife 68 may be made accentuatedly blunt at its base Mbecause that part thereof is not used for cutting but for prying openthe bivalve, during which operation that part of the knife slides alongthe edges of the valves.

After the bivalve has been opened, its support is tilted so that thejuice drains from the lower valve into container 26.

What I claim is:

1. An opener for bivalves, comprising a reciprocatable knife, a backstop, and a platform for bivalves normally supported by said back stopin a position of operative alignment with said knife and tiltablerelative to the back stop around an axis substantially normal to thedirection of reciprocation of said knife, so that a bivalve deposited onsaid platform may be aligned with said knife by tilting said platform.

2. In an opener for bivalves, a back stop, a platform supporting thebivalve and tiltable from a position substantially against said stop inwhich the bivalve is opened into a position in which the juice flows outof said bivalve.

3. In an opener for bivalves, a platform supporting the bivalve in aposition in which the juice flows out of said bivalve when it has beenopened, said platform being rotatable in said opener around an axisextending through the bivalve supported by said platform.

4. An opener for bivalves, comprising means supporting a bivalve, aknife movable towards and away from a bivalve supported by said means, astop on said knife preventing the insertion thereof between the valvesof a bivalve beyond a predetermined depth, and means actuated by contactof the valves with said stop and rotating said knife after it has beeninserted between said valves up to said stop.

5. An opener for bivalves, comprising means supporting a bivalve, aknife and stop, means for pressing said knife between the valves of saidbivalve up to said stop, and means rotating said knife when said stop ispressed with predetermined pressure onto said bivalve.

6. An opener for bivalves, comprising a tiltable platform, a knifemovable towards and away from said platform, and a back stop upon whichsaid platform normally rests in a substantially horizontal position andfrom which it may be tilted toward said knife, the edge of a bivalvedeposited on said platform being aligned with said knife by tilting saidplatform.

'7. In an opener for bivalves, a frame, a movable knife mounted in saidframe, and a tiltable support for a bivalve mounted in said frame at thelevel of said knife, so that it faces said knife at various anglesbetween a horizontal and a vertical position.

FRIEDRICH W. MI'ITEL.

